Defense wins

Regarding the Jan. 14 editorial cartoon showing a large wheelchair with unpleasant-appearing elderly people carrying signs saying “Social Security” and “Medicare” telling a budget-cutter that presumably their right to survive on Social Security couldn’t be touched, because they had “promised” it to themselves: Interesting that on the same page was an article bemoaning likely military personnel cuts in our state.

Hence, old people earning Social Security benefits, for which they paid over many years from their paychecks, are the problem with the budget, not bloated “defense” expenditures for two undeclared, unpaid-for wars of long duration, wars that have created thousands of veterans maimed physically and mentally, who will require care for the rest of their lives.

Twisted priorities, I think, about life and what it is all about.

John Paar, Raleigh